Do you dream about traveling the world?
What is holding you back?
Is it money?
Is it fear of the unknown, or traveling alone?
Maybe it’s a lack of information about a specific location.
By sharing my journeys as a solo traveler, I hope to inspire you to pack your bag, and experience the sights, sounds, food, and the incredible people all over the world.
Hi, I’m Sandy (Young at Heart Traveler).
Believe me, I had a lot of apprehension about traveling overseas, for the first time. I was older, I was traveling solo, I even had a fear of flying at the time. Now, ten years later, after many trips, I am so grateful I found the courage to take that first trip. It was life changing, and those travel memories still bring me joy.
In this Travel Journal, series of e-books I take you on my most recent journey from Amsterdam to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Northern Greece, with a bit of Italy as well as Brussels in Belgium, before I make my way home to Canada.
With pictures and descriptions, these e-books provide:
- a condensed overview about a location,
- details about the buses or trains I used to get from one place to the next,
- information about where I slept, the cost and the pros & cons of the accommodation,
- highlights of the best things to see and do in each place, and
- travel suggestions to make your trip more enjoyable.
My travels are about using different budget forms of transportation and accommodation. Flying in and out of places is quick if you have limited time. Riding trains or buses allows you to see the landscape, meet locals and feel the vibe of a country.
Hostels are a fun way to meet other travelers and home stays allow you to meet locals and learn more about a particular area. This was a trip during Covid times. I’ve included some of the challenges I faced, and what to be prepared for if travel restrictions are put in place again. I also spent 11 days on a cruise ship. In that section, I explain why cruising can be a budget friendly form of travel even if you go solo.
Throughout these journals, I purposely used the currency of the country I was in and then converted it to the approx. Canadian dollar (CAD) amount at that time. This was done, because “I am Canadian” and too often I see costs displayed in United States Dollars (USD) or Euros (EUR).
Unfortunately, the Canadian dollar is often not worth as much as the USD or the EUR, so I wanted to provide my fellow Canadians with a more accurate cost picture. The Australian and New Zealand currencies are also more on par with the CAD.
Always remember that currency rates fluctuate all the time as do the cost of items. The purpose for including costs was for comparison purposes to show how expensive or inexpensive the different locations were.
Some maps and contact information for buses not easily found on the internet, has also been included.
Book 1
Includes Amsterdam in The Netherlands, Salzburg in Austria, Bled in Slovenia, as well as tips about how to book trains across Europe if you have never done that before.
Book 2
This e-book covers the main cities in Croatia; Zagreb, Pula, Rovinj, Zadar, Split & Dubrovnik. There is also a section specifically about buses and general travel suggestions for Croatia. There is a lot to see in this country with long bus rides between cities. Doing some pre-trip planning will help you put together a route with less back tracking.
Book 3
If you go to Croatia, I highly suggest a side trip to Mostar and Sarajevo in Bosnia. Both have a Turkish influence that’s makes them unique, and the countryside between these cities is spectacular. This book also covers Belgrade, Serbia and Sofia, Bulgaria where I made stops on my way to Turkey.
Book 4
Turkey was one of my main destinations for this trip, and it did not disappoint. This book describes Istanbul and some of the other “not to be missed” locations, such as Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya and Cappadocia. Also included are bus travel tips to help you get around Turkey. It is easier to travel by bus than I thought it would be.
Book 5
Thessaloniki, Greece was a quick stop on my way south to Athens and I was impressed by what it has to offer. Located half-way between Thessaloniki and Athens is the scenic and peaceful area of Meteora. This is where Monks built monasteries on the top of an unusual mountain range. From Athens I hop on a cruise ship to Rome. Along the way I saw some Greek Islands, as well as Sicily, Naples, and Pisa in Italy. After a few days in Genoa, Italy, followed by a delightful time at the Brussels Christmas Market, I made my way home to Canada during Omicron craziness.
A couple of the e-books are Free and the others I charge less than what it costs for a coffee in many countries. By charging a small amount you can easily read these books and enjoy the pictures without continuous interruptions from ads that would appear in a blog post.
When I first started traveling, I was afraid to step off the well-known travel path of group tours and hotel stays. Creating my own trips has been more budget friendly and it has allowed me to pick and choose the cities and sights that are specific to my interests.
I hope these e-books will inspire you to venture out and see more of the world. If they do, and you want to write about your experiences using trains, buses, hostels, and home stays, let me know. I plan to add travel journal e-books written by others to my website, https://trainsbuseshostels.com/
Wherever you decide to travel, may your journey bring you safely home once again, with a renewed inspiration for life, and memories you will cherish forever.
~ Sandy Golden, Author & World Traveler
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.